The first close-up view of tangled protein in the brain cells of an Alzheimer's patient could pave the way to new treatments, scientists believe.

Understanding the structure of so-called "tau tangles" is expected to help in the search for drugs that target the abnormal protein, a key feature of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

A team of researchers led by Dr Michel Goedert, together with a group led by Sjors Scheres at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, used an advanced type of electron microscope to zoom in on tau filaments from the brain of a 74-year-old woman with confirmed Alzheimer's.

Michel Goedert

Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists provided a detailed description of distinct helical and straight strands of the protein in the neurons.

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Tau tangles are known to disrupt a vital transport system that allows important nutrient components and other materials to travel along molecular "rail tracks" within the cells. Without this transport system, the nerve cells eventually die.

The imaging technique used by the scientists, called cryo-electron microscopy, studies samples at very low temperatures to provide high definition of molecular structures.

Dr James Pickett, head of research at the charity Alzheimer's Society, said: "Tau protein, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, has never been seen in this level of detail before.

"Many drugs work like a key in a lock, and this discovery shows us the inner workings of the tau protein 'lock'.

"The ability to picture what the lock looks like could help scientists design more precise drugs that act on the tau protein and stop damage to the brain.

"With this knowledge, computer models can measure millions of potential drug molecules against the tau protein, giving immediate clues to suggest which should be tested further.

"This study could take us into a new era of drug design, but it can take 10 - 15 years to develop new drugs from this very early stage of drug discovery."